Budget Truck Rental Reviews

I wound up going to U-Haul and received a truck in mins. But now I'm late to my move and still have to pay my movers for their time. It got done with no help from Budget. Best yet, two days after my move Budget charged my card $150 for the service they didn't supply!! Took hours on the phone to finally receive someone to speak to until finally getting my money back. Save yourself time, money and sanity and never use this company. If I could give 0 stars I would!! But I guess the ease of the online and the customer service when I finally got someone to refund me deserves one star.

"This is Budget Truck Inventory. I saw you that you booked for a cargo van in Pittsburgh, PA. Has this dealer reached out to you regarding your reservation?

If you have any questions or concerns about your reservation, please feel free to reach out to me. I can assist with any issues you may have. You can reply directly to this email."

No call, just this email. I called the number attached and was told that not only was the particular van I rented not available, that there was no van, box truck or moving truck of any kind available in a 150 mile radius. They offered to get me one the following Monday, which did not fit my moving schedule. When pressed for why this was the case, I was met with the audacious response of, "Your reservation is for the price, not for the actual vehicle." One of the most ridiculous things anybody has ever said to me. When I pressed for any type of customer service I was met with nothing. When I asked to speak with a supervisor I was told one was not available. When I asked to speak to one the next business day I was assured I would receive a call, but did not.

When I followed up via email that I was looking to speak with a supervisor I received crickets from Jene **, Inventory Manager. To sum this up, I booked a reservation 5 weeks in advance of my 500+ mile move and less than 24 hours prior to my pickup time I was told to kick rocks. I will never in my life go anywhere near Budget or Avis for anything and neither should you.

The truck the agent gave me had the “check engine” light on perpetually. The lady at the rental site told me not to worry because the engine light stayed on permanently because the site had added an after-market converter to the truck. I was uncomfortable driving a truck with a check engine light on, but the lady said that we were renting from an automobile repair place and should not worry and that it was their only truck available.

I took the truck and loaded it on the morning of July 30, 2025. Once loaded, my wife and I got on the road with the intention of driving at least as far as Richmond, Virginia on the way to Elmsford, New York. We got as far as Lumberton, North Carolina, just over the border from South Carolina, and the truck began shaking and a warning appeared on the dashboard that said the transmission was too hot and that we needed to stop driving. We were fortunate enough to be by an exit and pulled off I-95 into a restaurant parking lot in Lumberton, SC.

We called the Budget number for repairs and the vendor used for repairs/replacements finally arranged for a mechanic to come by at 11:00 p.m. on July 29, 2025. The mechanic inspected the truck and determined that the after-market equipment installed by the pick-up location was causing the transmission to overheat and said that we needed a truck swap. The vendor advised us that the replacement truck would be delivered by the vendor by 9:30 a.m. on July 30, 2025. Consequently, we were forced to stay overnight in Lumberton at a cost of $181.33.

On July 31, 2025, at about 11:20 a.m., the Vendor called me to advise me that the Budget manager had denied a truck swap. The vendor’s agent said that a check-engine light was not a sufficient reason for a swap. I explained that the issue was not the check engine light, but the warning that the transmission had overheated and the truck could not be driven safely. The vendor’s agent said she would attempt to connect the manager with the mechanic.

On July 31, 2025, at 12:42 p.m., the vendor told me that the Budget manager had spoken with the mechanic and agreed that a replacement truck would be delivered on August 1, 2025, because it was so late in the day. Since we did not have a truck and we were told by the vendor that the replacement truck would not be delivered until the next day, we extended our stay at the hotel for another night at a cost of $151.83.

The replacement truck was delivered at 7:44 p.m. and the load swap team did not arrive until 11:30 p.m. We finally were able to leave Lumberton at 7:00 a.m. on August 1, 2025.

1. Budget provided me with an obviously unsafe truck. This was not an unpredictable breakdown. The breakdown was caused by the Budget agent’s improper replacement of or addition of an after-market converter that caused the transmission to overheat. The mechanic who inspected the truck after it broke down was clear that the after-market equipment caused the truck’s breakdown. Thankfully, the broken truck did not cause injury to my wife or me.

2. Because of the truck breakdown, my wife and I had to stay overnight in Lumberton, NC for two nights at a total cost of $333.16. In addition, we had to buy lunch and dinner on July 31, 2025.

3. The unsafe truck, the ridiculous refusal of the Budget manager to approve the truck swap, and the more than 24-hours it took Budget to provide me a replacement truck and swap team caused my wife and I much undue stress when we were already dealing with the death of a family member. As I said, we were moving my brother’s estate.

I am truly outraged by the horrible experience we had with Budget Trucks. What a completely insensitive way to treat customers: knowingly renting out faulty equipment that could have caused serious physical injury, denying a replacement truck, and being painfully slow to remedy the problem.

My 3 dogs, two adult kids and myself were stranded in SC for 3 days. When the tow truck driver got there he stated they had 6 brand new trucks on the lot and they gave this truck to you... the new truck was in worse shape than the first from appearances. Finally we got back on the road and 45 mins from our new home the swapped out truck starts to break down... I spent money I didn't have and lost several days work, my daughter lost a job opportunity, my dogs were beyond stressed. Then they had the audacity to charge me for gas when there was 1/2 a tank when we got the second truck and we filled it to 1/2 and the first truck that broke down we had just filled up. Trying to get reimbursed now...

Despite claiming to be “veteran-friendly,” Budget has shown absolute disregard for my disability status and safety. I physically cannot unload the trailer myself due to my injuries, yet Budget refuses to send a replacement or provide meaningful assistance. I’ve been forced to extend my rental, paying more money, while Budget hides behind endless call transfers. This is dangerous negligence—especially for a company that markets itself as veteran-supportive. If you’re a veteran, disabled, or simply want reliable customer service, stay away from Budget Truck Rental.

I reserved a 16-foot truck and car trailer weeks in advance to move out of state. I made it clear to the staff that I had a strict 6 PM departure deadline because of a 14-hour drive, movers scheduled for 2 PM the next day, and my daughter’s 2nd birthday party that weekend. I expected a seamless process, but what I got instead was an exhausting and costly ordeal.

The Nightmare Timeline: Trailer Hookup Issue: After packing my entire home into the truck, I returned for the trailer hookup only to be told the truck wasn’t equipped with the proper towing control panel, meaning no functioning brakes or blinkers. The only “solutions” offered were to swap trucks (impossible after 4 hours of loading) or call roadside assistance.

Roadside Delays: Roadside arrived 4 hours later, fixed the wiring in 45 minutes, and I didn’t depart until 10 PM—already four hours late.

Trailer Strap Failure: When I attempted to load my car, the trailer’s straps were rusted and jammed. Roadside had to come back with WD-40 and a hammer, delaying me another 2 hours. My family (wife, toddler, and dogs) waited anxiously so we could travel together for safety. We finally left at midnight.

Blown Tire on the Trailer: Two hours into the trip, a trailer tire exploded due to bent fenders I was never informed about. We were stranded at a truck stop for over 5 hours while roadside sourced a rim and tire. My baby spent nearly 24 hours in a car seat, and we slept in the truck stop parking lot worried for our safety.

Nearly $2,300 paid to Budget for equipment that was unsafe and poorly maintained

Customer Service Disaster: When I called Budget the next day, the local manager admitted he couldn’t do anything and told me to contact corporate. Corporate initially said they’d “comp the rental,” but then changed their position and only offered $200. After escalating, “Level 2” customer service offered $500 max—but only after I returned the truck, effectively leaving me no choice. It’s been nearly a month since then, and no one has followed up despite their promises.

Final Verdict: Budget is cheap for a reason. The money you save upfront will cost you far more in delays, stress, and out-of-pocket expenses. Their equipment is poorly maintained, their support is painfully slow, and their customer service is structured to deflect responsibility instead of fixing problems.

Do yourself a favor: Rent from a company that values its customers and stands behind its service. I will never rent from Budget again—and if you value your time, money, and sanity, you shouldn’t either.

She said it was Budget corporate policy. First, that is not true. Second, I had checked to make sure this vehicle didn't require a commercial license and third I had called our insurance company and we were covered in specific for rental box trucks on our policy. Having no other option for a different truck on short notice, he paid the money. I called the facility and no one called me back (not surprised).

I called Budget customer service and was told "Well you bought the insurance so there isn't anything we can do". I asked for a manager to call me back and did not get a return call. I'm sure the owner of the Pelandale facility was patting the clerk on the back for soaking some guy for all that money. They get commission on all those sales. On a positive note, the truck was very nice and our return location was very nice. Just stay away from this facility. I wish Budget would pull their contract with these folks.

There, the person on the phone told us that Ruffing Automotive Inc. would be closed and that it actually does not have self drop-off, even though the booking website offered it as an option for our drop-off time. We therefore had to switch the drop-off location to Pdc Rental Inc., 15 miles away (30 minutes) from the original location. If the website had only let us book this latter drop-off location, we would have planned accordingly and it would have been fine, but having to change our plans during the move was a huge inconvenience.

When we got to Pdc Rental Inc., a big sign on the door said: “No Truck return in this parking lot. Please return to driveway beside restaurant” with the actual name of the restaurant taped over and no other indication of where to go. There were a number of restaurants around and no Budget logo or Budget branded trucks to be seen. We once again called only to get a rather unhelpful customer service reading us over and over the same instructions to return cars, not trucks, in the parking lot we were already in. We ended up driving around to finally see a couple Budget branded trucks parked in an empty lot, nowhere near any restaurant.

We parked there and dropped the keys in the box back at Pdc Rental Inc., making the whole self return process take 45 minutes when it could have taken five if we had had clear instructions or clear signage. It looks like Budget Truck subcontracts the handling of pick-ups and drop-offs to individual businesses but knows nothing about them on their websites or when you call. We should have gone with U-Haul as we usually do.

As it was less than 48 hours I couldn't cancel my reservation without a fee even though it wasn't my problem that they didn't have the truck I reserved. Do not use Budget Truck Rental!! I wasted hours and stress unnecessarily when I needed to be packing!! Save yourself time and energy. Also note, on confirming my reservation online I had to sign their agreement terms which I was uncomfortable doing as it says I have inspected the truck ... how can I inspect a truck I haven't seem?? Penske you can reserve and not have cancelation fees.... and kinder customer service people.

I was assisted by manager **. She offered me a large-size truck perfect for transporting the amount of boxes I had in one trip, AND she offered me this vehicle at half the price with unlimited mileage. Although she did not have to, she definitely earned a returning customer in me just by being kind and empathetic. I truly hope this review reaches her and supervisors above her. May she be praised for being an asset to Budget Truck Rentals and an example to her peers. Thank you **.

• Truck was not tested or inspected from the previous drop-off when we picked it up from Bucks’ Refrigeration in Rock Hill, SC. • The truck had a dash light on about checking the gas cap. I went inside to inform the person working who rudely said that the previous people did not have any issues with the truck. • By 2pm I turned on the A/C in the truck but it only blew hot air and continued to blow hot air. I called Budget’s Roadside Assistance and explained I had no AC, and it was approx. 5pm when someone finally arrived at my house to look at it (took me so long to deal with the phone drama from Budget). • Meanwhile, I can’t pack the truck as at this point I don’t want to pack the truck just to unpack and repack if Budget swaps out moving truck with a new/replaced truck.

• When the Roadside assistance arrived, the individual had to ask me where an auto shop was to buy some cans of freon; why did the person not have freon on the truck when the issue with the Budget truck was that it had no AC; poor service not coming prepared! • Once the technician returned to my house about 45 mins later he added the freon and then it was discovered that this was not the problem as it was still blowing hot air. Budget obviously could not have it fixed before I needed to leave in the very dark early morning. But Budget was also not going to be able to swap me out a truck before I needed to leave. So, no fixing and no new truck, Budget left me to dry.

• I had no options left as by now it was almost 7pm and I had hours of truck-packing to still do so I could spend 13 hrs driving to FL on Tuesday, so I arrive on time for my house closing early Wed morning. • I had to give up on this issue for the meantime as I needed to prepare for packing and moving so it was a few days later, once I started contacting customer service to explain the issues and request a significant refund since I was given a broken truck that was not inspected and received garbage service throughout the rental process.

• A records review of the phone calls I made will show I called numerous times and was beyond angry. I was lied to and told a supervisor would call me within 48 hours – no call. So, I called back and was told the request for a supervisor call was never put in, so this person now did it. After still no return calls from Budget rectifying the situation, I had to call back again and was told that a supervisor would only be able to provide me with the same type of absurd 20% or 25% discount back on my rental. The rental was a little over $600 so the refund they wanted to offer me was ridiculous and offensive. I then asked Budget to connect me with the CEO because obviously the terrible customer service folks would not escalate or help.

• Budget Truck Rental does not care about the health and safety of the people renting their trucks by offering a small discount. I find Budget Truck Rental to a negligent, greedy company putting money before customers! When I dropped the truck off after use, I had a discussion with the Lady that handled the Budget Truck return. She told me that because that truck had no AC, she had to use it “in town” vs long-distance. She also indicated that many places sadly do not inspect the Trucks before they go out for use.

I do expect to have someone with authority at Budget Truck Rental contact me to discuss this matter as the ph# listed on the paperwork for customer service refused to help. This entire rental was a nightmare and rectifying the matter with a 20% discount was really poor taste, as if my health and safety is only worth 20%.

It’s frustrating that they wouldn’t make an exception or even offer a credit, especially when the reservation was made through a reputable partner like USAA. I paid for time I didn’t use, and they pocketed the money with zero regard for fairness or customer satisfaction. I won’t be renting from Budget again, and I’ll be advising fellow USAA members to consider other options.

No attempt was made by the company to alert me ahead of time, although they sent me many email advertising their insurance. Considering the amount of damage this causes, Budget really needs to go out of business.

I refused to leave the store, being that my movers were scheduled to arrive in 30 minutes. So he told me he was going to call the police (I told him to do it). Instead he stood behind me, rambling more nonsense and hostility loudly, while I tried to get Budget on the phone to help me. After 30 minutes and a call or two from Budget, and the calm negotiation by my friend, he let us rent the truck. This guy is unstable and potentially dangerous. Heaven forbid a customer as unstable as him goes into the store, as violence my erupt. I would avoid at all costs if I were you.